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“Startling Increase” in Hampton Commercial Vehicle Accident Statistics5 min read

Stephen Smith

by | Apr 6, 2023

Reports show a sharp increase in fatal commercial truck accidents in the Hampton Roads region. For those injured and the surviving family members of those lost, a lawsuit may be the best way to find justice and encourage better standards.

New reports show a dangerous spike in commercial truck accident fatalities. Large truck crashes can cause life-ending and life-altering injuries, including permanent brain and spinal trauma. The cost of such accidents on individuals and families is steep, and companies must be held accountable.

If you or a loved one have been impacted by a commercial truck accident in Virginia, the Hampton-based attorneys at the Smith Law Center can help. We have extensive experience in catastrophic injury cases, including unique experience in litigating brain injuries. This is due to founding attorney Stephen M. Smith’s background in neuroanatomical science. 

For proven lawyers with real results in Virginia courts and throughout the United States, contact the Smith Law Center online or by calling (757) 244-7000. For recent statistics on Hampton commercial truck accident collisions, read on.

What Are Hampton Accident Stats for Commercial Trucks and Semis?

Preliminary findings from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) crash data reports show a “startling increase” in the number of deaths resulting from commercial truck accidents. 

The numbers show that in 2022:

  • 996 individuals died in crashes, a 3% increase compared to 2021
  • 38 pedestrian fatalities were recorded, up from 36 in 2021
  • 28 people were killed as a result of crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle, a 75% increase compared to 16 deaths in 2021

While the overall crash fatalities decreased, the deaths specifically involving large, heavy commercial trucks is up. These crashes are far more likely to cause profound injuries when compared to collisions involving two or more average cars or passenger vehicles. This data covers the Portsmouth region, including the cities of Hampton, Newport News, and Norfolk.

The most common injuries resulting from commercial truck accidents are traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury, and death. If you have been involved in a commercial truck accident in Virginia, it is important to contact an experienced local attorney. As one of the oldest firms in the area, the Smith Law Center can be reached at (757) 244-7000 to explore your legal options.

What We Learned From Hampton Traffic 2022

The above-cited DMV data also provided insight as to “top driver actions” that contributed to 2022’s increased crashes. They found that the majority were caused by car drivers rather than commercial vehicle drivers.

Acting DMV Commissioner Linda Ford issued a statement encouraging safe driving practices: “Drivers of cars and other passenger vehicles must remember to respect the size and limitations of large commercial vehicles such as tractor-trailers.” 

Safety tips include:

  • A reminder that large trucks cannot stop as quickly as a car, and that semi-trucks and tractor-trailers have significant blindspots that other vehicles should avoid 
  • Never cut into a truck’s safe following distance
  • Make sure to signal your intentions early so that the commercial truck driver knows where you are headed next

That being said, controlling your own behavior on the road is only part of the equation. Some portion of commercial truck accidents are indeed caused by the truck driver’s negligence. Dangers include fatigued driving or intoxicated driving if the truck driver employee is using stimulants to stay awake and make timely deliveries.

Also keep in mind that other cars on the road may force you into the path of a commercial truck if they behave unsafely, or they could force a commercial vehicle to change its path into yours. If you were involved in a commercial truck accident, contact an experienced truck accident lawyer to investigate the true cause of the crash and who may be liable for your injuries and losses.

How Do Virginia Commercial Vehicle Accident Statistics Affect Your Lawsuit?

Commercial vehicle accident statistics can show important patterns that your lawyer may present as evidence in your case. Examples include:

  • A history of serious crashes with a particular company or driver
  • An area of road with increased risk of commercial vehicle accidents
  • Other contributing factors like a change in policies regarding truck driver hours, standards, or requirements

By showing a contributing pattern to the cause of your accident, your attorney may be able to strengthen your case and secure the highest possible settlement you’re entitled to receive. A truck accident lawsuit settlement could cover your medical bills, lost wages from missed work, and other losses like the pain and suffering caused by such terrifying and life-changing crashes.

A thorough knowledge of local crash patterns and statistics can be important evidence in the hands of a skilled commercial truck accident attorney.

Contact Experienced Hampton Truck Accident Lawyers

A rise in commercial truck accidents means a rise in potential severe injury and death for the Hampton, Virginia area. In the aftermath of such devastating crashes, families need financial compensation to heal, and trucking companies need real consequences to help reverse this dangerous trend in commercial truck accident statistics.

At the Smith Law Center, our case results show substantial, multi-million dollar settlements for commercial truck accident clients, including:

  • $8 million awarded to a woman for a closed head injury after a cement truck crash
  • $3 million for a plaintiff whose car was struck by a commercial truck, causing a mild traumatic brain injury
  • $2 million for a man’s head injury after a collision with a hauling company’s equipment

Whatever your unique circumstances, and regardless of what type of commercial vehicle was involved, the lawyers at Smith Law Center are here to help. Contact our Hampton, Virginia headquarters today at (757) 244-7000 for a free consultation. That one phone call could lead to a better future.

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If you or a relative had a severe reaction to military housing mold, it might be time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Mold is everywhere, and can be dangerous. Researchers have linked mold to serious respiratory illnesses in some individuals.

Smith Law Center may be able to help if a property owner failed to keep you safe from mold in your military housing. We are one of Virginia’s oldest and most successful firms. We know how to hold negligent property owners responsible, especially when the military is involved.

Call us at (757) 244-700 or contact us online to set up a free consultation. There’s no fee for learning more about Virginia mold laws, your rights, and your legal options.

Mold in Military Housing

Black mold in military housing became widely known when Reuters published an investigation in 2018. Since then, the Department of Defense and the housing providers were supposed to take steps to improve the situation.

Unfortunately, a 2020 audit by the DoD Office of Inspector General found many issues, including the need for mold remediation, still persist.

Monetary Awards in Military Housing Toxic Mold Cases

If the property owner lets toxic mold run wild and continue to cause you harm, talk with our toxic mold attorneys about filing a lawsuit.

You may receive financial compensation for:

Service members and their families do not receive different types of damages than civilians. These are civil lawsuits in traditional courts of law.

Military Housing Mold Toxicity Symptoms

The Institute of Medicine discovered there was evidence connecting exposure to indoor mold with:

  • Upper respiratory tract symptoms;
  • Coughing;
  • Wheezing;
  • Asthma symptoms in individuals with asthma; and
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals with weak immune systems.

There is also limited evidence that mold causes respiratory illnesses in healthy children or causes people to develop asthma.

Understanding Exposure to Toxic Mold in Military Housing

The topic of toxic mold is complicated. This Is in part because the term “toxic mold” isn’t accurate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains mold isn’t toxic or poisonous. However, some molds are toxigenic, which means they produce toxins called mycotoxins.

Mold is common in military housing because it’ll grow anywhere there’s moisture. That includes on and inside walls, carpet, upholstery, wallpaper, and heating and air conditioning systems. This is especially pronounced in humid conditions such as those present in Virginia.

Some people have no difficulties around mold, even large infestations in their homes. Other individuals are sensitive to molds, including those that produce mycotoxins. Someone can have a severe reaction when exposed to a large amount of mold indoors.

People may be more likely to experience mold toxicity symptoms if they have:

  • Allergies,
  • An underlying lung disease,
  • Immune suppression,
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,
  • Asthma, or
  • Another chronic respiratory disease.

Common Types of Military Housing Mold

When you’re trying to learn more from the CDC and other resources, you’ll see the word “fungus” a lot. Mold is a type of fungus, which is something that exists all around us. Fungi are living organisms different from animals, plants, and bacteria. There are over 200,000 types of fungi and over 100,000 types of molds.

If you discovered mold in your military housing, it could be Cladosporium, Penicillium, Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus, or many other types. Stachybotrys is what everyone knows as black mold. Aspergillus is a common indoor fungus, which releases mycotoxins and can cause illness. Your symptoms may resemble common allergy or asthma symptoms.

Who is Liable for Military Housing Mold?

Since 1996, most military housing has come under the management of private companies:

  • Belfour Beatty Communities: Fort Eustis and Fort Story/li>
  • Lincoln Military Housing: Dahlgren, Little Creek, Naval Station Norfolk, Northwest Annex, Oceana, Portsmouth, Quantico, and Yorktown/li>
  • Hunt Military Communities: Fort Lee and Langley AFB

Outside of Virginia, Lendlease and Corvias Military Living are two more housing providers. Together, these five companies formed the Military Housing Association.

Military families living in on-base housing must take their complaints to their private management company — not the military. The company is responsible for providing habitable conditions and making repairs, including mold remediation.

If you’re unsure about your rights, review your state law and local ordinances about mold. In general, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to provide a habitable unit, which means it has to be safe to live in. A unit isn’t safe if it’s causing a tenant health issues due to mold.

The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires landlords to disclose if there’s mold in the written report of the move-in inspection. If a tenant discovers visible mold in the unit, then the Act requires the landlord to remove the mold and relocate the tenant until it’s gone at no additional cost to the tenant.

Unfortunately, many families find their housing providers aren’t receptive to complaints. Attorney Stephen M. Smith has handled many mold lawsuits against military housing providers who fail to abide by their lease terms and the law when it comes to mold remediation and other hazards.

Other Hazards in Military Housing

Many service members and their families deal with uncomfortable, if not hazardous, conditions in privatized military housing, including:

Lead Paint: Lead-based paint can cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures, organ damage, and in extreme cases, death.

Asbestos: Exposure to asbestos harms a person’s lungs, and can lead to lung fibrosis (scarring), lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Radon: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It naturally forms underground, however cracks and gaps in buildings lead to over-exposure indoors.

Poor Water Quality: Dozens of military sites have water with detectable levels of harmful chemicals.

Other issues involve rodent or insect infestations, pesticides, and faulty electrical wiring.

What Happens When a Lot of People Get Sick?

Sometimes mold exposure impacts a single individual or family. However, when the mold spreads throughout military housing, it can impact hundreds or thousands of people.

Occasionally, a large enough group of people are injured to allow for a class action or mass tort lawsuit. A class action lawsuit is one where a class representative acts as the plaintiff on behalf of the group of hurt individuals. Not every victim participates in the lawsuit. There are rules about when a group is big and similar enough to create a class action.

Mass tort lawsuits are different. When there are fewer plaintiffs who have their own set of circumstances, each person files a lawsuit. For efficiency’s sake, one or a couple of law firms may represent most plaintiffs, and the lawsuits are consolidated in a federal court.

Call the Military Housing Mold Lawyers at Smith Law Center for Help Right Away

Mold cases come about in a few ways. You or a loved one may start getting sick, and after weeks or months of struggling to find answers, you finally realize your military housing has a mold infestation. In other cases, you struggle with visible mold and then become ill.

Once you connect the illness with the mold, it’s time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Reaching out to an attorney early helps you build a strong compensation claim. We know how to collect evidence, identify who is liable, and craft a successful argument for a settlement or court award.

Attorney Stephen M. Smith has decades of experience handling injury claims and has been internationally recognized for his work. He has litigated cases involving catastrophic injuries and complex legal and scientific issues. In 2019, he was inducted into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame.

You’re in good hands when you come to Smith Law Center for help. Reach out online or call (757) 244-7000 to schedule your 100% free consultation.

Military Housing Mold Lawsuits: FAQs

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